Teeeitoey



(No Model. 1

- C-J. GUSTAVESON.

' Hopple.

No. 240,121. Patented April 12,1881.

I INVENTOR;

fi B- I ATTORNEYS.

N.PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. GUSTAVESON, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH TERRITORY.

HOPPLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,121, dated April 12, 1881. Application filed August 26, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. GUSTAVE- SON, of 'Salt Lake City, Salt Lake county, Utah Territory, have invented a new and Improved Hopple and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved hopple or device for confining the legs of horses or other grazing quadrupeds, so as to hamper their motion, and thus restrain their wandering. The featuresof novelty are as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved hopple, and Fig. 2 is a plan view with part in section. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line a: m, Fig. 2.

The main parts of the hopple are the pads A A, fetlock-straps B B, and chain 0. The straps B are riveted to the pads A, and together they form the attachments for the legs of the animal. The chain 0 connects them, and is provided with a swivel to prevent twisting. The edges of the pads A are turned outward over the edges of the narrower straps B. The latter overlap about one-third their length when applied to a horses legs, and are secured or fastened by prongs a and sliding loops b.

.To apply the hopple the ends of pads A and straps B are opened or separated to receive the animals legs and lapped around the fetlocks, and the free ends 0 of the straps are then inserted in the loops 1). Then, by pushing or drawing them (0) forward, the slack of the straps will be taken up, and the prongs b will readily enter holes in the straps, thus securing the hopple as required. The prongs 1) project from metal plates riveted to the straps, and, being curved toward the loops 1), thestraps are prevented from becoming accidentally detached; yet their detachment may be effected manually with greater ease and rapidity than if ordinary buckles were employed.

The ends of the chain 0 are broad links (I, through which the straps B pass, the latter being looped, so as to stand out free of the pads A at the point of connection, thus leaving a space in which the links d have free movement. In order to prevent friction, wear, cutting, and wrinkling of the looped portions of strap B by the links 0?, I interpose V-shaped plates I), having lateral or side flanges, that protect the corresponding edges of straps B. These guard-plates D are secured to the straps B by the rivets e, that also pass through the pads A, so that said parts are'firmly connected.

Between the pads A and the ends of the guard-plates D are placed wedge-shaped leather pieces f, the same being secured by said rivets e, which they, in turn, protect from contact with and wear by the links dj My invention has the following advantages over others of its class:

First, the pads A A, being soft and flexible, and also turned out over the edges of straps B B, effectively prevent the latter from cutting or wearing into the fetlocks of the ani-v mal, so that the leg bands or attach ments cause no pain, discomfort, or injury.

Second, the straps B B passing around or over the metal pieces or guards D, the strength of the former is utilized in forming the connection between the two parts or leg attachments of the hopple; yet such straps are not subject to wear by the rings of the couplingchain 0, and, being also connected Withthe pads A and guards D by two rivets, the construction is as simple and inexpensive as practicable.

WVhat I claim is- The improved hopple formed of the leg bands or attachments, each composed of the strap B, having the fastening described, the leather pad A, whose edges are turned over those of the strap, the guard D, riveted to and between the straps and pads, and the swiveled coupling-chain attached to the leg-bands, as shown and described.

CHARLES JOHN GUSTAYESON.

Witnesses:

J OHN LEWIs GRU DHAND, NIELs CHRISTIAN CHRISTENSEN. 

